A Deserved Break
by Flipdarkfuture95
Summary: The newest members of the Scout Legion, having returned from rescuing Eren and Krista from Ymir, Bertholdt and Reiner, work together with the Military Police and the Stationary Guard in a campaign to exterminate all Titans in the lands between Wall Rose and Maria, taking back what Mankind lost. In the midst of the hunt, they have a well-deserved break. Mikasa/Eren at the end.


**A/N**

So, this is just a little self-contained story to finally show the members of the Scout Legion blowing off steam for once and not having to worry about the Titans for at least one night.

* * *

休

* * *

_Wall Maria's Southern District._

With a piercing shriek, the Titan stumbled back on weakening legs, eyes rolling back as it suddenly lost balance and toppled backwards with a thunderous boom, throwing plumes of dust around the Rogue Titan as he retracted his fist and hopped backwards, tossing the chunk of flush he just ripped away, flattening half of a unfortunate stable by accident.

Inside the Rogue Titan, Eren's vocal chords ached as he roared in tandem with the Titan, putting all of his trength into one tremendous punch. His iron-hard fist sailed forwards into the last Titans jaw, the force shattering most of the fangs in its maw and stunning the creature.

Below him he sensed the presence of Mikasa and Armin, and knew where to place his feet to avoid harming them. He converted his forward momentum into a spin kick that caught the lesser titan in the side, breaking bone and rupturing muscles up and down its body from the impact shock alone.

Surprise filled the dying creature's boggled and misshapen eyes as the punch ripped it off the ground and sent it tumbling at a breakneck pace. It gurgled and roared before its neck slammed into the ground at a obscene angle, cracking instantly and snuffing out the wretched creature's life as it's lifeless body tumbled out across the open and flat waters of the canal, slapping into the water and kicking up tremendous sprays before finally coming to a halt.

The Rogue Titan unleashed a victorious roar as it shook out its hand, growling as the muscles and bone in its hand reformed and re-knitted to form a seamless and strong whole. Its roars soon faded to a rumbling snarl as steam began lifting from its perfectly sculpted muscles and heroic form. The Rogue Titan craned his head upwards and sighed, wisps of steam curling into the air from the depths of its mouth as it fell to its knees with enough force to shake the area for a few seconds, before rolling over onto its back and staring upwards at the sky.

Mikasa watched, again fascinated as Eren clawed his way out of the tough muscle and stringy sinew buried within the depths of the Titan's nape. With a gasp he finally clambered out into the sunlight, taking the time to bask for a few seconds and regain his bearings before noticing Mikasa, and throwing her a confident smile.

She came over with his swordblocks, the tail of her crimson scarf flapping in the afternoon breeze. She stopped just short of the fallen titan's shoulder, watching as he dropped to the ground, swaying a little before recovering and getting to his feet with a slight hobble to show his time spent in the strange form.

He came to a stop in front of her, still smiling with a vacant look in his green eyes. Suddenly he began shaking out his legs, rolling his shoulders and stretching his arms with a series of sharp breaths. "Still feeling the rush!"

Mikasa folded her arms after handing Eren's swordblocks back to him with a slightly concerned look. "Eren, I don't want you to go that long... like that... ever again."

"Huh? Why? I'm the sole reason we've traveled this far without any trouble."

The headstrong boy, a fact Mikasa had constantly been reminded of every time she followed him into a scrap with a few bullies hounding Armin, or just trying to beat up on Eren. Sometimes he took it too far. And especially now that he could become the very thing they fought against... She took a step forward, relaxing her arms and dropping them to her sides. "I just want you to be safe. Okay?"

Eren's cheeks flushed a little in annoyance, he looked away for a quick moment, scratching the back of his neck and giving her a stiff nod. "Yeah, well, uh. Fine."

"Mikasa. Eren!" The two of them glanced at Jean as he waved to the two of them, although unable or unwilling to hide the slight flash of jealousy in his features as the two of them walked over together.

Captain Levi joined him, sliding down a putrefying titan's back and walking over to Jean, sheathing his double blades.

As they neared, Jean had lowered a few of his fingers after muttering under his breath for a few seconds, one by one until he brought them all up again and repeated the process. Meanwhile, Levi busied himself by running a stark white handcloth up and down the outside of his sword blocks and the handles of his blades.

"One hundred for Eren! Seventy-six for you, sir!" Jean called out with his hand raised to his mouth. He looked down and paled, yelping as he shook a length of putrefying skin from his boot, quickly flashing a nervous look at Mikasa.

Mikasa folded her arms and tilted her head questioningly. "You were counting the entire time?"

"Well, uh, yeah." Jean mumbled, scratching the back of his head and looking away.

Eren rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms, before grinning at Captain Levi. "With all due respect, Captain, I think that's a win for me."

"Doesn't count, Private."

"What the hell- I mean-" Eren gulped and bit his tongue, nervous as he watched Levi re-sheath his double blades."Sir?"

The Scout Legion captain looked him straight in the eye and chuckled once. "You disposed the last twenty five titans while transformed." Suddenly a small smirk upturned the corner of his mouth. "The competition is mine." Levi clapped the stunned Eren on the shoulder and turned around, cupping his hand to his mouth. "Everyone! Search the area and establish a perimeter, stay in pairs and report back here in twenty minutes."

The three of them stiffened immediately and brought their fists to their breasts. "Sir!"

He beckoned for them to follow. "We'll estimate the numbers of the horde across the canal first off."

They made their way across the open space, while on the roof of the huge building nearby and on the grounds surrounding the small collection of buildings near the canal, the rest of the squad fanned out among the fields and roads to search for more Titans and dispatch of them.

Levei came to a stop at the edge of the water in the canal, watching the titans roaming above the buildings on the other side. "I count at least twenty. All below fifteen meters. All of them normal. For titans at least."

"Luckily Aqauro district is where one of Wall Rose's waterworks and canals are located. The water is too deep for the titans to cross." Mikasa observed, her arms folded as Captain Levi nodded.

"Not unless those two skinless ones and their armored friend decide to show up." He murmured, remembering what the female did to Petra, Auruo, Eld and Shin.

Mikasa noticed his clenched fist, but didn't say anything, both in respect of the sacrifices his squad made for Eren and out of her own confusion about Annie, Reiner and Bertholdt. She nodded as a huge geyser of water splashed upwards across the canal. She glanced further down the canal's edge, seeing Armin, Sasha and Connie a short distance away.

"Whoops! Down you go, big guy! Drink your fill, bastards, haha!" Sasha called out from the edge of the canal, waving one of her swords around and pumping her fist in the air as another of the gigantic freaks tumbled straight into the water, malformed arms flailing goofily. She glanced to her side and elbowed Armin. "Come on, celebrate a little! Those things can't fucking touch us!"

"Don't jinx it, Sasha." Connie warned from her other side, his arms folded as he watched titan after titan pitch over and fall into the canal with a huge splash. "What if enough of them fall into the water and they begin piling up? Then the others could just waltz right over and eat us all."

"Geez. Mood-killer, Connie."

"Their bodies dissolve, I believe." Connie glanced over his shoulder, fighting the giddy smile coming on at the sight of Krista walking towards him with that winning smile of hers, cradling a armful of canteens, their contents sloshing around like music to his and the other's ears. "We may have gotten lucky. Right, Armin?"

The blonde boy finished putting his blades away in their blocks, nodding his head up and down, quickly turning to hide a big smile when Krista changed direction and veered away from Connie to stop by his side. "Yep." He nodded his thanks as Krista handed him a canteen, immediately popping the cap and drinking some of the water. He made sure to wipe his mouth afterwards, especially in front of Krista. Once he realized he had been staring at the empty space next to her head for way too long he quickly gulped and remembered something. "Uh, we should probably report back to the Captain about now."

"Okay. He is just over there though." Krista shrugged and walked past the two of them, getting a companion on Sasha as she decided to tag along with the goddess.

Armin and Connie looked at each other. Connie folded his arms and muttered under his breath. "Lucky."

The blonde boy grinned sheepishly and shrugged, before following Krista and Sasha back to where Levi waited.

As he and Connie stopped, he glanced at Eren, just to make sure he was still... Eren. While that wasn't a significant difference from the fifteen-meter tall, impossibly ripped fanged giant, he still made sure.

"Everyone."

"Yes, captain?"

Levi pointed at the huge building nearby. "As it is approaching nightfall, it is imperative that we find shelter until the next day, that and somewhere to store our equipment while we operate in this area. Per your reports, the perimeter seems to be devoid of Titans, and with such a opportunity, I thought that this location will be a good place to make into a base of operations."

Immediately Connie pumped his fist. "YES, we won't have to use the damn tents, I-" he noticed the looks everyone was giving him. He scratched the side of his noise. "Uh, sorry, Captain."

"I find myself sharing your opinion, private. Anyway, I believe this building should suit our needs." He glanced at Mikasa. Then back at Connie. "Mikasa. Connie, as the fastest in the squad, I want you two to go back to the horses and bring them over."

"On it, sir." Mikasa bowed to Levi, straightening and waiting for Connie to join her before splitting from the group towards the fields west of the canal.

He turned to everyone else as they saluted. "As for the rest of you. Recon the building. Quietly."

* * *

Eren looked over at Armin and Jean, each of them with a blade in their hand as they crouched against the wall the doors to the interior were built into. A low whistle caught Eren's ear and he looked up at Krista and Sasha, positioned near a rooftop window.

"Armin, can you hear anything moving in there?" Jean whispered, peering over the blonde boy's shoulder.

He lifted his head from the wall and shook his head, before placing his ear back on the wooden doorframe. "Nothing... Titan's are no more than animals, we should be hearing noise."

"I say we go in." Jean's words made the two of them look at him.

Armin nervously gulped. "If you're sure, but there's no telling what's on the other side."

"I am. If there are titans in there, it'll be cramped for them but open for us. Plenty of space to get a shot at their necks. I'll take point."

Surprise showed on Eren as he saw the laser-like focus in Jean's eyes. The tall youth took a deep breath as he moved around Armin's side and stopped in front of the door, arms shaking a little but the rest of him still.

Jean gritted his teeth and knitted his eyebrows, keeping his sword arm steady as he raised a foot in preparation to boot the door open, knowing that any and all titans inside would instantly be alerted by the loudness of their entry.

One more time he closed his eyes, knowing that Mikasa wouldn't be shaky or nervous with doing something like this. Eren's hand fell on Jean's shoulder. "Right behind you."

"One the count of three."

"One." Eren put his back to the wall right by the doorframe, holding his sword close to minimize his profile.

"Two." Armin did the same on the opposite side, a grimace on him as he kept his eyes on Jean, giving him a confiding nod.

"THREE-"

The sound of shattering glass stopped him cold and he looked upwards, seeing a shower of small shards drop down from the roof above them, the light from the late afternoon sun bathing them in warm golden fire, blinding him a little.

He looked downwards at Eren and Armin's shocked faces. "What the?" Eren said with a confused look.

Armin was quicker. "Krista and Sasha!"

Without any time to spare the three of them threw caution to the word and piled through the broken doorframe, their boots thundering down on the floorboards, lifting squeaks off each time as they ran into a huge room filled with tables, arrayed in small clusters that radiated out from a counter at the back.

Their focus settled on one such table, covered in a fancy white tablecloth with flowing blue trim on the hem. The neat display disappeared in a explosion of splinters and ripped fabric as a body dropped onto the table, rolling onto the floor with a heavy grunt.

The three of them went to help, only to stop in their tracks when they saw the gleaming red light in Sasha's eyes as she got to her feet.

Her shoulders lifted up and down as she turned to face them, a huge grin on her even though she had just dropped from a height of at least ten meters. "Sasha?" Krista's worried tones floated down them from the broken window near the edge of the vaulted ceiling above them as Armin ran up to the food-crazed girl.

Eren and Jean both stared at her, mouths agape as they heard a few muffled thuds coming from behind them. The whirring of cables followed as Eren turned around to see Connie roll through the doorway, his wires retracting back to the canisters on his hips as he stared at them with wide eyes. "We just returned from getting the horses! What happe-"

He stopped as Eren slowly jerked a thumb over his shoulder for Connie, prompting the bald boy to follow it to where Sasha stood, with Armin waving his arms to get her attention.

"You gotta be-" Connie trailed off at the red gleam in the mountain girl's eyes.

"Food! All over the place! YES, YES! Out of the way, Armin!" Sasha's predatory red gaze flashed as she grinned and elbow-checked Armin into the nearby wall, sprinting into the dark and dimly lit space without a care in the world. She dived over the counter, landing with a crash and even managing to topple the nearby wooden keg to the floor, pushing it off the counter and onto the floor.

A pair of cables shot down from above, their heads sinking into the floorboard near the ruined table as Krista landed with a soft grunt, her blades sheathed as she glanced at Armin as he stood, shellshocked nearby.

"SASHA!" Connie growled, drawing his swords in case any 3-Meters were waiting to emerge from the backrooms behind the counter.

"Knock off the noise, you ruined the stealthy approach! Goddamit, we could be attacked at any-"

"What is going on here?"

All of them turned except for Sasha, who continued to run rampant behind the counter, to see Levi step into the building with a raised eyebrow and his hands clasped behind his back.

"Captain!" Jean snapped off a quick salute first, beating Eren to the punch. Levi nodded at him, then at Sasha. "What happened to a quiet reconnaissance, private Kirschstein?"

"Uh, there was a slight tactical error."

"Private Braus was present." Eren muttered, getting a look from Levi before the captain walked past them into the center of the room, stopping at the ruined table and looking down at it with a grimace, how it disrupted the flow of the rest of the impeccably arranged tables.

Armin and Krista watched as he stopped at the counter and looked at the destruction Sasha had wrought behind the counter. "Private Braus, a word?"

Sasha popped up from behind the counter, a potato clutched in her hand and her cheeks bulging. The red glint in her eyes faded as she fumbled and snapped off a salute. "Captain?"

"Is there any threat inside this building?"

"Not from what I can determine, sir." She said as she quickly stole a bite from the potato.

Levi stroked his chin as he glanced behind him. "Unorthodox entry, but it seems that no Titans are present in the building."

"Hey, there's lots of room for everyone to quarter here!" Connie called out from the second floor, leaning over the railing and looking down at them as Krista and Armin peered through each of the doors behind him.

Levi stared at the tall sturdy walls of the room, noticing the richly colored paintings and finely woven tapestries taking up most of the wall. He admired how cleanly the place had been left, even if its owners were most likely long crushed underfoot by now. "This must be a beer hall."

"Really? I heard they only have these behind Wall Sina?" Eren scratched the back of his head as he stared at some of the barrels left standing on the counter, seeing the King's symbol clearly printed in bold colors above the taps.

"Rich bastards..." Connie muttered.

"Easy with the insubordination, Private." Captain Levi leveled a frank glance up at the bald boy.

Connie gulped and quickly saluted. "My apologies, sir!"

"Accepted. They're also fat." Levi had the tiniest smirk on as Connie stared in shock at him. He turned away from the bald boy and addressed the rest of the squad. "It would be wise for us to take advantage of this rare opportunity." He glanced at Eren and Jean. "Like before. I want everyone to go in pairs and scout the rest of the building. You two will take the cellar."

Next he came to Mikasa and Armin. "You two will stay here and check the cook rooms at the back for any weaknesses or entrys to the building. Lock them tight but keep the windows loose."

He looked up at Connie and Krista. "Continue exploring the top floor, but be careful. Everyone gather back here in half a hour. It looks like this will be our resupply depot and gathering point for the operation."

* * *

"I've never seen so much in my life!"

"You would have if you went into the Military Police instead of the Scout Legion, Jean."

"Yeah... but!-" Connie grinned and elbowed him in the side, getting a grunt from the tall youth before he turned his gaze to the beer hall's counter and the large serving window, flanked by entire shelves worth of red wines and champagnes from Wall Sina, untouched chardonnays from Wall Rose, and silvery flasks of spiced Golden Hall cider, the insignia of Wall Maria engraved into the metal.

"She cooks like a goddess..." Mikasa muttered, blinking as she beheld the steaming platter of potatoes in front of her and Sasha, their skin baked to a delicious golden brown and crusty to the touch.

"My stomach might be a titan from the sounds it's making." Armin smirked at the look Eren gave him from where they sat on the table, opposite from Mikasa, Jean and Sasha. The two boys blinked several times at the bowl of steamed greens next to the potatoes, their mouths watering despite the fact this was the first time they had ever seen vegetables look so appetizing.

"FOOD!" Sasha said, with all the eloquence she could muster, drool pooling in the corner of her open mouth and a dazed expression in her eyes as she looked up at the goddess as she emerged from the kitchens, nervously appearing with her head bowed.

Krista's pale cheeks were tinged red, her jacket folded neatly on the counter along with her swordblocks as she looked up and gave her friends and comrades a unsure smile. "Uh. All done. You can all eat now."

"KRISTA!" Their almighty cheer lifted from the two tables pushed together on the floor immediately in front of the counter, almost shaking the entire building with its thunder and easily able to match twenty Titans in terms of primal loudness.

Pandemonium ensued before her eyes as chairs scraped and squeaked as her friends practically lunged for the lavish feast before them, Sasha going straight for the potatoes and meat while Connie hovered near the bread loaves with nervous energy, watching as Eren and Armin crossed forks and knives with a series of shouts and snarls for a chance at the chicken roast between them, not realizing that Mikasa had deftly sliced off a few thin slices from its breast already, quietly chewing on them and careful not to get any on her crimson scarf as she watched them with a amused smirk.

Jean growled as Sasha smacked away his hand when he reached for a few of the perfect golden orbs, almost knocking over one of the pitchers of golden fizzy bliss in the process, shimmering brightly from the candles lit around the table, bathing it in a warm blob of light in the quiet dimness of the rest of the hall.

Levi had a smirk on him as he looked around the table at his comrades, allowing a ghost of a smile as he calmly carved a neat slice from his helping of the roast pork, jabbing his fork into the exact center and bringing it up to his mouth in one precise and smooth movement. After disposing of the slice with a polite gulp he continued to systematically disassemble the pork slice, dicing it into smaller and smaller chunks as if it were a miniature titan. With organized ravish he finished it off and turned his attention to the pile of peas and carrots next to it.

Krista giggled at the chaotic scene as she took a seat next to Sasha, reaching for a pitcher of beer close to the mountain girl's elbow that she rested on the table. A titanic burp came out of the girl as she sighed and leaned back from the former mountain of potato and meat lying demolished on her plate, stretching and patting her stomach.

Their words and laughter washed over the girl like a warm wave, instilling content in her and a quiet happiness that she rarely experienced. Slowly the loudness began to subside as the food finally began to run out, with everyone now reaching for the pitchers spread around the table and pouring generous amounts into the exquisitely blown glass mugs she found underneath the counter while rummaging around.

To everyone's surprise Levi was the one who had the largest amounts. "What? Every day could be our last, your superior officer is just enjoying the atmosphere."

* * *

More candles had been lit once the night had truly come, and they had quietly opened the windows to ensure a steady flow of air to keep their sense relatively clear and to keep themselves awake and alert. Just in case.

With a loud groan Connie tipped his head forward, resting it on the table as he glanced up at Sasha with a unfocused gaze, definitely feeling the last five glasses of cider he had managed to put away, even beating Eren in that respect.

They all held some kind of slack expression as their mugs clinked, their laughs carried throughout the hall, and more and more of the hall's supply of liquor was diminished. Eren found that a lot of the time he had been focusing on Mikasa, finding the faint blush on her cheeks from the cider a very interesting sight. Next to him Armin tipped back and forth with a constant wobble, laughing and still able to carry on a conversation even if his sense of balance was being severely challenged.

Most of them had thrown off their jackets by now, dressed in the simple long-sleeved undershirts with a few of the buttons undone, or in Mikasa's case down to her tanktop, still keeping the crimson scarf wrapped tightly around her neck.

Jean couldn't help a few admittedly rakish looks he caught himself directing at the black-haired girl, knowing that if his mother found out her fury would terrify him more than any titan could.

Even with a slight buzzing noise in her ears and a tingly sensation all over her body, Krista managed clear her throat loudly enough to cut through the general buzz of conversation. "It might be a little late, but I wanted to make a toast."

The entire table fell quiet, giving her their attention. Levi had his eyebrow raised as his fingers were laced together, a thoughtful look on him. "Private? Something you wish to share?"

"It's just..." Even with the general cheer in the room, Krista couldn't help her voice going low for a moment. "We've all been through a lot to get here... and I wanted to dedicate a few words to Ymir. And to Reiner and Bertholdt too."

Eren stiffened, remembering his time spent with the three of them in the forest. "Krista, they're traitors and they're not human-" He wasn't sure if it was the memory or the cider that allowed him to say such brazen things in the general silence hanging over the table.

"Eren!" Mikasa hissed.

His eyes grew dark as he avoided looking at any of them, Mikasa and Armin each tried to catch his eye, but he wouldn't let them.

Krista faltered, about to sit down in the face of his glowering opposition when she looked at the boy. "Ymir saved us at Castle Utgard."

Levi gave her a slight nod and Eren a cool glance as he stood up. "Even so, they were comrades to each and every one of you. It doesn't matter that they are with the enemy now. They were still friends to us all." He looked around the table at the uncomfortable expressions. "And we should honor that memory."

Levi raised his glass to join Krista's, with everyone slowly following his lead. Armin and Mikasa did so first, followed by Sasha, Connie and Jean. Eren was the last, and the slowest to do so. "To Ymir. Reiner Braun. And Bertholdt Fubar. To them. Our friends and comrades, we remember their dedication and self-sacrifice. We remember them."

"We remember them." Everyone muttered around the table, placing their mugs back on the table.

Krista remained standing for a moment, wondering where Ymir was and what she as doing at this very moment. She nodded at Levi, placing a fist over her breast and another behind her back with a determined expression. "Thank you, captain."

She sat back down, and after a few moments Sasha's burp interrupted the solemn moment. With wide eyes she looked over her and managed a nervous chuckle as the mountain girl nodded several times and placed a arm around Krista's shoulder.

Everyone gathered at the table witnessed a rare sight as Sasha actually wiped a grubby sleeve across her mouth, took a swig of the ale and slammed the bottle down with a ringing thud before suddenly glancing at Krista sitting next to her, her cheeks flushed and expression giddy. The blonde girl watched Sasha's hand slip off the table, nearly taking the girl with it before she managed to right herself.

Before Krista could react or even say or even think of anything, Sasha roughly pushed her lips against hers. The girl squeaked in surprise, not really pulling away either even though her ears burned knowing that everyone had gone quiet and hushed. Not a moment later, everyone broke out in incredulous laughter.

The bald boy closest to the two of them hanged his mouth wide open in shock, feeling something in his pants as he stared at the two girls without a word. Mikasa had a smirk on her as she watched Krista whiten and Sasha hum and sway in her chair, before tipping backwards onto the floor with a thud.

"Now that was interesting." she observed, amused at the almost perverse looks on Armin and Eren in the corner of her eye.

"Hmm." Levi didn't take long to come to a conclusion, looking at each and every one of them in turn. "I think that's enough for tonight."

* * *

Mikasa shivered a little as she shrugged her jacket back on, feeling the cold midnight breeze and realising how drafty the huge room really was, especially when it was occupied by just the two of them.

"Can't believe he stuck us on night watch, while the rest of them are up there, sleeping without a care... Armin's probably laughing at us." Eren muttered under his breath, grumbling as he rubbed sleep from his eyes and lifted a hand to adjust the knob on the lone lantern lighting the room, the candles having been blown out a couple hours ago.

"You haven't stopped complaining, Eren. At least it's kept me awake." Mikasa grinned at the pout coming from the boy, knowing the reasons Levi had for sticking the two of them in particular on night watch. "The rest of them will be looking forward to a lovely case of migraines and nausea tomorrow. Be interesting to see them using the gear like that."

"He probably did it because can I turn into a Titan."

"I saw you drink at least six mugs of cider, Eren. And you aren't even tipsy."

"But I am sleepy."

"Eren."

"Ugh. I'm not suited for the night. You are, you're like a damn owl."

Mikasa raised a eyebrow as Eren rested his cheek on his hand and looked away, heaving a bored breath. "I'm bor-"

"I know. You already said that."

Eren glanced at her and sighed, tipping his head onto the table amidst the drained mugs and pitchers. "Not to mention we get to clean all of this up."

"Hmm. I had enough of that cleaning up for you back home." Mikasa whispered just loud enough to get a scowl from him. "I have an idea." Eren glanced at her with a curious look. "Something we haven't done in a while." A wicked look surfaced on her features as she laid her arm straight on the table's surface, curling her fingers and digging her elbow in as she lifted her forearm with her hand a open palm towards Eren. "How about some arm wrestling?"

"Uh..." Eren hesitated, remembering the sensation of bruised fingers, sore tendons and what he thought was a dislocated arm when he was a kid. Seeing the look in her eyes, he knew he couldn't decline. She'd never let him live it down. Even Armin might tease him without mercy.

"Three bouts." She smirked and nodded her agreement, flexing her pale fingers as he laid his arm on the table parallel to hers, lifting his forearm up and mirroring her hands position. He almost gulped at the sight of the muscles on her arm and shoulder, knowing that his own weren't quite as large.

"One." He closed his fingers around hers with all the firmness he could manage.

"Two." Mikasa looked him straight in the eyes, her own full of confidence.

"Three." Eren wasn't ready. His eyes watered as Mikasa's grip crushed his with ease, and his arm throbbed as it slammed into the table and his elbow ached.

"One to me."

Eren took a deep breath and glared at her, picturing her as the enemy and not his friend as he got his arm back into place and readied himself, even thinking of 'accidentally' biting his hand and bulking up to wipe the floor with her and win the competition.

"Ready?" Mikasa's voice had a pleased edge to it as he nodded, eyebrows furrowed and expression determined.

"To win." he said with a confident smirk.

"One." He closed his fingers again, focusing on the backs of his knuckles and hers.

"Two." Eren took a deep breath, preparing himself to weather her attempt and beat her.

"Three." The boy grunted as he pushed back with all of his might, while Mikasa did the same with her titanic strength, their arms shifting back and forth in a endless struggle for dominance, Eren staring into her eyes, Mikasa staring back, not even breaking a sweat while his own arm started to ache. Hers was rigid, perfectly balanced in the right way to refuse him any ground or purchase.

He gritted his teeth and pushed with all his might, even managing to reach the place that fueled his titan shifting ablities for a moment, but with a smirk Mikasa simply twisted her wrist, and instead of slamming his arm into the table, pulled him out of his seat and onto the table with a short grunt.

Breathing heavily, he ignored her laughter as he stared up at the ceiling, rubbing his wrist and flexing his abused fingers. She looked down at him, her hair forming a pitch black frame around her pale grin and dark eyes. "How are you so strong?!"

His question brought a warm smile on Mikasa as she stared down at him. "Because of you."

Eren stiffened, a stunned look in his green eyes as he looked up at her, noticing in the corner of his eyes that her wiry arms were firmly planted on either side of him. She had him pinned.

Leaving no room for argument, no room for him to say that this was wrong, that she was like a sister to him and that he never imagined this at all, that he was nothing but some revenge-driven kid that she always had to swoop in and protect. His eyes landed on the soft crimson fabric wrapped around her slender neck, but Eren still didn't understand why. That alone wasn't reason enough.

It was like a electric charge had charged through him, setting everything on fire and inflaming his senses as she finally brushed her lips against his, hesitating for a moment after the brief peck before lifting her arm and putting her hand down on his shoulder. Her movements grew frenzied as she pushed down against him again, leaving him no room to breath or move. All he could do was close his eyes and enjoy the moment.

"Tomorrow, there won't be any rest for us." Mikasa murmured as she nuzzled her crimson scarf, her voice a whisper next to his ear . "That is why."

* * *

休


End file.
